This invention relates generally to devices for developing and measuring grasping force and grasping dexterity. In particular, it relates to compressible and expandable devices that are compressed or expanded by a person""s digits to develop and measure the person""s grasping force and grasping dexterity. The device can be used in a regiment that allows for quantification, measurement and development of motor skills needed for grasping.
Adequate grasping force and grasping dexterity is required for individuals to perform tasks like eating, tying shoe laces and thousands of other everyday tasks. When an individual loses grasping strength or control, their independence and quality of life is severely compromised. Loss of grasping strength and dexterity can result from old age and various other health related causes such as injury or disease. The loss of grasping strength and dexterity may be temporary, as is often the case after a person experiences an injury or orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation. The speed at which a person can regain proper operation of the hands and digit control after surgery or disease greatly depends on the amount and quality of physical therapy that the individual receives. Personal physical therapists can be very expensive and are not available to each and every patient that requires therapy to regain grasping strength and dexterity.
Thus, patients that cannot afford physical therapy or do not have such services available for one reason or another have to rely on self motivation in order to develop or regain proper operation of the hands after injury. Unfortunately, if the patient is bed ridden he or she will not have the opportunity to tie shoes, wash dishes and the like which can help them to regain dexterity and strength in the hands.
There are several other reasons why an individual may wish to improve his or her grasping strength or grasping dexterity. For example, musicians that use their hands to play instruments may wish to exercise their fingers in environments where practicing their instrument is not feasible or not possible. Rock climbers may wish to improve their grasping strength prior to a climb and surgeons may wish to improve their dexterity to improve their ability to perform delicate operations.
Physical therapy requires the measurement and development of different combinations of finger strength and dexterity. Unfortunately, the available methods to quantify hand and finger functions clinically only measure strength. Dexterity is only measured qualitatively by prior art methods.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that can be used to measure and to improve the grasping strength and grasping dexterity. Preferably, the device is hand-held and can be used in a regiment that measures individual""s grasping strength and grasping dexterity.
One object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held device that may be used in a therapy to exercise the digits of an individual in order to improve finger strength. The hand-held device allows individuals to remain substantially immobilized while exercising and developing their grasping strength.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device, which is flexible and measures grasping dexterity. The device not only allows the individual to develop grasping strength, but also his or her grasping dexterity.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a device for developing grasping strength and grasping dexterity, which is inexpensive, can reduce the cost of therapy, and allows individuals to develop grasping strength and grasping dexterity in a variety of environments.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for developing grasping strength and grasping dexterity that yields a quantitative measurement of grasping strength and grasping dexterity.
These objects and advantages are obtained by providing a hand-held device with a compressible section. In one embodiment of the invention a user holds the device between the palm of his or her hand and applies a force with a finger to compress the device. Through repeated compressions of the device the user can measure and develop grasping strength.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention the device is configured to be held between a finger and a thumb of the same hand. The user compresses the device in a compression direction with the finger and the thumb. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is also capable of bending or flexing in an off axis direction such that the user must compress the device in a predetermined fashion to achieve successful compression. The ease with which the device is designed to bend in an off axis direction determines the required grasping dexterity that the user must have to successfully compress the device.
To vary the skill level that is required in order to successfully compress the device, a variety of mechanisms are used. For example, different spring stiffnesses and dimensions can be used to increase or decrease the strength and dexterity required to successfully compress the device. Alternatively, flexible elements, hinges and the like can be integrated into the device to make the device more flexible and more difficult to compress. The variety of ways that the device can be modified for different user skill levels and different user goals will become clear in the ensuing examples.
The device can also be configured to operate in an expansion mode such that the user must apply an expansion force to the device in order to develop grasping strength and grasping dexterity. It is also possible that the device requires force to both expand and compress the device. In a particular embodiment of the current invention several springs are attached together by their ends. At the other ends of the springs there are loops for inserting fingers or thumbs. The user inserts his or her fingers and/or thumb into the loops and repeatedly expands the device in various directions to develop and measure grasping strength and grasping dexterity.
All of the embodiments described can be equipped with an automated counter that measures the number of successful or unsuccessful expansions and/or contractions of the device. A series of devices, which require a range of skill levels to operate, can be used in a designed grasping rehabilitation or grasping improvement program for patients, musicians and athletes alike.